Dharma Talks Free Library

UD Kusala
Dharma Talks in MP3 / Free Download



Dharma talk Part 01
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My Journey as a Buddhist - Posted 5/2009 - 43 min - 10.1 MB // My talk at 'Against the Stream / Buddhist Meditation Society' on becoming a Buddhist and what I learned along the way. I spoke at Against the Stream on March 29, 2009.
The Path Is Not The Goal - Posted 8/2008 - 37 min - 8.6 MB // My talk at "One Spirit" Center for Conscious Living on why the path is not the goal. The featured singer was Margaret Owens, her web site is - www.margaretowens.com - and my harmonica tune was backed my Andy Howe musical director of "One Spirit". - www.OneSpirit.org
The Four Immeasurables: Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity - Posted 8/2008 - 38 min - 8.7 MB // My talk at 'One Spirit' Center for Conscious Living on the Four Immeasurables and how to use of them in everyday life. - www.OneSpirit.org
Pizza and Theology - Posted 5/2008 - 46 min - 10.8 MB // A presentation by Sister Benedicta and myself on meditation and contemplation in our religious traditions to the UCLA Catholic and Buddhist clubs. The presentations were made on 5/20/08 in the University Catholic Center at UCLA. It was an evening of pizza, friendship and dialog. The Carmelite Sisters web site - www.carmel-msh.org
Chadwick School 5-2008 - Posted 5/2008 - 44 min - 10.3 MB // My talk at Chadwick School on Buddhist morality, the five precepts and human perfection.
Enlightenment: What a Trip - Posted 3/2008 - 32 min - 7.5 MB // My talk at "One Spirit; Center for Conscious Living," on my understanding of Enlightenment according to Buddhism. Many thanks to Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones for the invitation to speak and Andy Howe musical director of the One Spirit band for making me look good. Web Site - www.onespirit.org /// Now available for Online listening - 'Flash Audio Player' - Click Here
My Talk at Cal Poly Pomona - Posted 2/2008 - 1 hr 22 min - 18.8 MB // My talk in 2007 at Cal Poly Pomona to a comparative religions class on basic Buddhism... The format was more questions and answers, than a formal presentation. Web Site - Cal Poly Pomona
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My Journey - Posted 2/2008 - 32 min - 7.4 MB // My talk at the Church of Religious Science in Glendale, CA on 12/15/2007
Calm Over Chaos / Flash Video - Posted 1/2008 - 4 min // A video interview on meditation with Lissa Coffey for her web site Coffey Talk @ www.coffeytalk.com... From Lissa's web site / Welcome to CoffeyTalk, the online magazine by lifestyle expert Lissa Coffey. Whether you’re looking for dating or relationship advice, or the latest in home and fashion trends, CoffeyTalk is an inspiring blend of ancient wisdom and modern style!
Bishop Montgomery High School - Posted 11/2007 - 1 hr 24 min - MP3 - 19.3 MB // My talk to a comparative religions class at Bishop Montgomery Catholic High School. I was invited to speak about Buddhism and found that many of the students had a fine understanding of basic Buddhism already, with many good questions. - Bishop Montgomery High School web site: www.bmhs-la.org/
A Path to Voluntary Simplicity - Posted 11/2007 - 32 min - MP3 - 7.4 MB // My talk at the 1st Unitarian Church of Los Angeles titled "Voluntary Simplicity" based on a book by Duane Elgin. First published in 1981 "Voluntary Simplicity" is about getting your choice back... Choosing simplicity over complexity, voluntary over involuntary... It's all about being free to choose.
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LMU Spring 07 - Class 5 Part 2 - Posted 9/2007 - 45 min - MP3 - 10.4 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 5 Part 1 - Posted 9/2007 - 33 min - MP3 - 7.8 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 4 Part 2 - Posted 9/2007 - 52 min - MP3 - 12 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 4 Part 1 - Posted 9/2007 - 48 min - MP3 - 11.1 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 3 Part 2 - Posted 9/2007 - 49 min - MP3 - 11.5 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 3 Part 1 - Posted 9/2007 - 40 min - MP3 - 9.3 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 2 Part 2 - Posted 9/2007 - 38 min - MP3 - 8.9 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 2 Part 1 - Posted 9/2007 - 55 min - MP3 - 12.7 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 2 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
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LMU Spring 07 - Class 1 Part 2 - Posted 8/2007 - 52 min - MP3 - 11.9 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 1 part 2 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
LMU Spring 07 - Class 1 Part 1 - Posted 8/2007 - 50 min - MP3 - 11.5 MB // The Buddhist Eightfold Path - A Way To Happiness... Class 1 part 1 of a ten part series of talks given in the spring of 2007 on the Buddhist Eightfold Path at Loyola Marymount University. This course offers a detailed introduction to the Buddhist Eightfold Path. The class web page can be found at: LMU / 07
IBMC - A Short Video / Flash Video - Posted 8/2007 - 6 min // A short video of the International Buddhist Meditation Center... I share some of the history of the IBMC as we take a 6 min video tour of where I live and work.
St. John's Abbey #2 - Posted 7/2007 - 37 min - MP3 - 8.7 MB // Part 2 of my presentation at the Monastic Institute 2007 Conference at John's School of Theology Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota on Being a Buddhist in America... Each summer the School of Theology·Seminary of Saint John's University sponsors a Monastic Institute to provide continuing education and spiritual enrichment for American monastics and all interested in monastic spirituality and practice. This year's Institute, co-sponsored by Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, was devoted to interreligious dialogue. Among the presenters were Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America, Kusala Bhikshu of the International Buddhist Meditation Center in Los Angeles, and Fr. Pierre-François de Béthune, Secretary General of Dialogue Interreligieux Monastique/Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. - Monastic Institute 2007
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St. John's Abbey #1 - Posted 7/2007 - 37 min - MP3 - 8.7 MB // Part 1 of my presentation at the Monastic Institute 2007 Conference at John's School of Theology Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota on Being a Buddhist in America... Each summer the School of Theology·Seminary of Saint John's University sponsors a Monastic Institute to provide continuing education and spiritual enrichment for American monastics and all interested in monastic spirituality and practice. This year's Institute, co-sponsored by Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, was devoted to interreligious dialogue. Among the presenters were Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America, Kusala Bhikshu of the International Buddhist Meditation Center in Los Angeles, and Fr. Pierre-François de Béthune, Secretary General of Dialogue Interreligieux Monastique/Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. - Monastic Institute 2007
Long Beach Meditation - Posted 6/2007 - 1 hr 7 min - MP3 - 15.4 MB // My talk on a variety of subjects to the Long Beach Meditation Group on Sunday 6/17/2007. Long Beach Meditation - www.longbeachmeditation.com
Santa Margarita Catholic High School - Posted 6/2007 - 52min - MP3 - 11.9 MB // My talk at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, June 4, 2007. I was invited by a member of the Los Angeles Buddhist/Catholic Dialog to speak to his ethic's class at Santa Margarita Catholic High School on being a Buddhist.
Chadwick School / 051007 - Posted 5/2007 - 52 min - MP3 - 12.1 MB // My Talk at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes California (www.chadwickschool.org). This talk, to a comparative religions class is composed mostly of questions and answers. I was asked about a Creation Myth in Buddhism... And found something in the Digha Nikya, and read from the Aggañña Sutta . In this sutta the Buddha explains about the beginning of the Earth, and the birth of the social order and its structure. - The Agganna Sutta in PDF
The Ventura Contemplative Community #1 - Posted 5/2007 - 52 min - MP3 - 11.9 MB // Part 1 of my presentation to the Ventura Contemplative Community on the Five Precepts, Morality and Justice. This day long retreat was held on April 21, 2007 at St. Catherine's-by-the-Sea in Ventura, California. I was asked to focus in a simple, non-technical way on the precepts, justice and morality. The retreat was sponsored by the Ventura Contemplative Community, PO Box 5692, Ventura, CA 93003
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The Reluctant Bodhisattva - Posted 4/2007 - 37 min - MP3 - 8.7 MB // My talk at One Spirit center for conscious living in Simi Valley, California on the ups and downs of living a life of service. My talk centers around volunteer work and the personal struggle of finding balance in the suffering of others. For more info on One Spirit please visit their web site: One Spirit
Dharma Grass - Posted 4/2007 - 8min - MP3 - 7.4 MB // Dharma Grass is made up of Kusala Bhikshu, Michelle Payne (www.myspace.com/michellepayne) and Mark Lennon (www.myspace.com/marklennon). We made our live debut as a group on 3/30/2007 at the "Peace is Possible" Concert held at 'One Spirit', Center for Conscious Living in Simi Valley, California. Kusala - rhythm guitar and harmonica... Michelle - guitar, banjo and vocals... Mark - mandolin and vocals... Photo - from the concert... The event poster can be viewed at: Peace Concert Poster
Northwood High School - Posted 4/2007 - 1 hr 7 min - MP3 - 15.4 MB // My talk at Northwood High School in Irvine, CA on basic Buddhism to a comparative religions class.
The 5 Precepts / Path to Freedom - Posted 3/2007 - 26 min - MP3 - 6.1 MB // My talk at IBMC on the five precepts. Buddhism has two types of practice, precept practice and meditation practice. This was my talk on what the five precepts mean to a Buddhist. - www.IBMC.info
Buddhist Volunteer - Posted 2/2007 - 39 min - MP3 - 8.9 MB // My talk to the UCLA Buddhist Club on why and how I Volunteer as a Buddhist. The ups and downs of being a volunteer... Some stories and insights on being a Buddhist volunteer in a California State Prison. The UCLA Buddhist Club - www.theUBA.org
The Eightfold Path - Posted 2/2007 - 27min - MP3 - 6.4 MB // My talk at the IBMC on the Buddhist Eightfold Path. IBMC has a Sunday Service each week. It was my week to speak and I chose the Eightfold Path. - www.IBMC.info
Who Are You... Really - Posted 2/2007 - 20 min - MP3 - 4.7 MB // My talk to the UCLA Buddhist club on 2/6/2007 on 'Not Self' or "Who are you, really." The UCLA Buddhist club meets every Tuesday at the University Catholic Center at UCLA. The UCLA Buddhist Club web site is - www.TheUBA.org
8th Grade Buddhism - Posted 1/2007 - 41 min - MP3 - 9.5 MB // My Talk to the 8th graders of Chadwick School on basic Buddhism. Elizabeth Timms a teacher at Chadwick School invited me to speak to her 8th graders on basic Buddhism and answer their questions: www.chadwickschool.org
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Everyday Buddhism - Class 4 / Part 2 - Posted 1/2007 - 56 min - MP3 - 12.5 MB // This is Class 3, Part 1 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
Everyday Buddhism - Class 4 / Part 1 - Posted 1/2007 - 27 min - MP3 - 6.7 MB // This is Class 4, Part 1 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
Everyday Buddhism - Class 3 / Part 2 - Posted 1/2007 - 43min - MP3 - 9.9 MB // This is Class 3, Part 2 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
Everyday Buddhism - Class 3 / Part 1 - Posted 12/2006 - 49 min - MP3 - 11.3 MB // This is Class 3, Part 1 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
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Everyday Buddhism - Class 2 / Part 2 - Posted 12/2006 - 37 min - MP3 - 8.5 MB // This is Class 2, Part 2 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
Everyday Buddhism - Class 2 / Part 1 - Posted 12/2006 - 1 hr 3 min - MP3 - 14.5 MB // This is Class 1, Part 2 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
Everyday Buddhism - Class 1 / Part 2 - Posted 12/2006 - 1 hr 3 min - MP3 - 14.5 MB // This is Class 1, Part 2 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
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Everyday Buddhism - Class 1 / Part 1 - Posted 12/2006 - 1 hr 3 min - MP3 - 14.4 MB // This is Class 1, Part 1 of an extension class I taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles titled, "Intergrating Buddhist Practices Into Everyday Life." This was a four week class that went from... Sept. 28 - Oct. 19, 2006. It is an overview of the Buddhist path, as well as an introduction to a Buddhist way of life. The web page I put together for the class can be found at: www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/lmu2006.html
Why Buddhist Monks are Celibate - Posted 10/2006 - 15 min - MP3 - 3.4 MB // A short talk given at the 'Monks in the West II' conference on why Buddhist monks are celibate. The Second 'Monks in the West' gathering was held at Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota from Oct. 26, to Oct. 29, 2006. Buddhist and Catholic monastics gathered to dialogue on monastic celibacy. 'Monks in the West' - Web Site
Introduction to Buddhism - Posted 10/2006 - 48 min - MP3 - 11.2 MB // A presentation to Mr. Jim Maechling's comparative religions class at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School on basic Buddhism. I've been speaking to Mr. Maechling's comparative religions class for a number of years now and have always enjoyed the experience: Jim Maechling -- Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Why Meditate - Posted 9/2006 - 30 min - MP3 - 6.9 MB // My answer to the question, "What are the benefits of meditation?" This is from my ongoing Wednesday Night class at IBMC in Los Angeles, CA. I tweaked the volume on the question in the podcast to make it understandable. My Wednesday Night class at IBMC is open to anyone interested in learning more about Buddhism. For more info please go to: www.Kusala.info
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Finding Peace - Posted 8/2006 - 21min - MP3 - 4.8 MB // A talk on finding peace in this ever changing world of birth, death, growth and decay. This talk was given at True Yoga in Thousand Oaks, California. www.TrueYoga.com
A Path to Happiness - Posted 7/2006 - 29 min - MP3 - 6.7 MB // A talk on 'Happiness in Buddhism' given at, One Spirit - Center of Conscious Living, in Simi Valley, California. There is happiness in owning things, happiness in being something and happiness in doing something for oth
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On Being a Monk - Part 9 - Posted 11/2006 - 31 min - MP3 - 7.1 MB // My interview with Ven. Ajahn Sudanto a monk from the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, the first monastery in the United States to be established by followers of Ajahn Chah. Efforts to establish this California monastery moved slowly until 1995. As Ven. Master Hsüan Hua, abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, located in Ukiah, California, approached his death, he instructed his disciples to deed over to Ajahn Chah's disciples 120 acres of forest in Redwood Valley, fifteen miles north of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. On several occasions Master Hua had made a point of stating that it had been the dream of his life to bring the northern and southern traditions of Buddhism back together again. - http://www.abhayagiri.org/
On Being a Monk - Part 8 - Posted 11/2006 - 1 hr 3 min - MP3 - 14.5 MB // My Interview with Rev. Heng Sure the Abbot of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery in Berkeley, CA. Both Rev. Heng Sureand myself attended the second "Monks in the West" Conference... We found some free time and did this interview... Rev. Heng Sure talked about the conference, celibacy and his first CD of original Buddhist folk songs... More on Rev. Heng Sure at - http://paramita.typepad.com/ - and - Music in the Dharma
Making A Difference - Part 3 - Posted 10/2006 - 49 min - MP3 - 11.4 MB // My interview with Rev. Sandra Yarlott, Director of the UCLA Medical Center Spiritual Care Dept... Rev. Yarlott speaks on the challenges of running a Spiritual Care Dept. in Los Angeles... The importance of training new hospital chaplains and some of the religious issues patients face in getting well or dying. For more information on the UCLA Medical Center - Spiritual Care Dept
Making A Difference - Part 2 - Posted 9/2006 - 1hr 11min - MP3 - 16.3 MB // My interview with Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge, Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of the International Academy of Buddhism at the University of the West in Rosemead, CA. Dr. Guruge was kind and gracious in allowing me to interview him and consented to do another interview in the near future. His web site is: www.Ananda-Guruge.com
On Being a Monk - Part 7 - Posted 8/2006 - 1hr 21min - MP3 - 18.7 MB // My interview with Rev. Nori Ito a priest at The Los Angeles Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple. We talk about his life and work as a priest at a Pure Land Temple in Los Angeles. Growing up in Los Angeles as a Buddhist Japanese American, his school years, meeting his wife and his Buddhist ordination. How he started a Buddhist club at Occidental College, his work with the Los Angeles Buddhist/Catholic Dialogue and taking students to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to introduce them to the horrors of the atomic bomb and nuclear war. Web Site: Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple
Making A Difference - Posted 7/2006 - 41min - MP3 - 9.4 MB // My interview with Ericka Bryant the owner of True Yoga in Thousand Oaks, California. She talks about how she came to yoga, religion and spirituality, a 16 day yoga retreat she just returned from and how to start a yoga practice. Rev. Kusala speaks the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month at True Yoga from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM.
On Being a Monk - Part 6 - Posted 6/2006 - 1hr 04min - MP3 - 14.5 MB // My interview with Father Alexei Smith... Director of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Office of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Father Alexei and his office is the resource most used by the Archbishop and the various offices of the Archdiocese in matters of ecumenical and interreligious issues. You can find out more about Father Alexei and his work with the L.A. Buddhist/Catholic Dialogue at: Los Angeles Buddhist/Catholic Dialogue
On Being a Monk - Part 5c - Posted 6/2006 - 1hr 01min - MP3 - 14 MB // This is part 3 of 3... My interview with Roshi Wendy 'Egyoku' Nakao, abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Since 1967, ZCLA / Buddha Essence Temple has provided the teachings and practice of Zen Buddhism to all who come and go through its temple gate. The core practice is zazen. Visit the ZCLA web site at: www.zencenter.org
On Being a Monk - Part 5b - Posted 6/2006 - 1hr 43min - MP3 - 19.4 MB // This is part 2 of 3... My interview with Roshi Wendy 'Egyoku' Nakao, abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Since 1967, ZCLA / Buddha Essence Temple has provided the teachings and practice of Zen Buddhism to all who come and go through its temple gate. The core practice is zazen. Visit the ZCLA web site at: www.zencenter.org
On Being a Monk - Part 5a - Posted 6/2006 - 43min - MP3 - 9.9 MB // This is part 1 of 3... My interview with Roshi Wendy 'Egyoku' Nakao, abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Since 1967, ZCLA / Buddha Essence Temple has provided the teachings and practice of Zen Buddhism to all who come and go through its temple gate. The core practice is zazen. Visit the ZCLA web site at: www.zencenter.org
On Being a Monk - Part 4 - Posted 4/2006 - 1hr 16min - MP3 - 17.5 MB My interview with Ven. Tenzin Kacho a Tibetan Buddhist nun on being a Buddhist, a nun and a hospital chaplain. On April 1, 2006 I went to Long Beach, California to interview my friend Ven. Tenzin Kacho. The interview turned out to be a little longer than expected, but her journey as a nun is filled with so many interesting twists and turns it could have been three times as long. Her temple web site is (www.tdling.com)
On Being a Monk - Part 3 - Posted 3/2006 - 33min - MP3 - 7.5 MB // My interview with the web master of BuddhaNet.net Ven. Pannyavaro on being a Buddhist, a monk, a web master and his new project "Bodhi Tree" monastery and retreat center. I first met Ven. Pannyavaro in 1998 at the World Fellowship of Buddhist conference in Australia and again a few weeks ago at UCLA. I asked him if I could interview him about his web site, his new project "Bodhi Tree," how he found Buddhism and why he became a monk. Many thanks to Ven. Pannyavaro for his time, his wisdom and his web site. (www.BuddhaNet.net)
On Being a Monk - Part 2 - Posted 3/2006 - 52min - MP3 - 10.8 MB // My interview with Rev. Eko Little the abbot of Shasta Abbey a Zen Buddhist monastery, on what it's like to be a Buddhist, a monk and the abbot. Many thanks to Rev. Eko for his time and wisdom. For more on Shasta Abbey please visit: (www.ShastaAbbey.org) also see (Monastic Conference)


(Dharma Talks and Interviews with Kusala Bhikshu are available on iTunes as a Podcast - "Urban Dharma")
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Page 2 - Urban Dharma Interviews with Kusala Bhikshu 


From the Urban Dharma Mail Bag:
"My name is William and I come from just outside Glasgow in the west of Scotland. The main reason for me sending you this e-mail is to thank you for the superb pod casts you have been publishing, its a real pleasure to here anyone (but especially a Buddhist monk) talking about Buddhism in plain English and also relating it to the present day." - William, Scotland
"I have read a few beginning books on Buddhism but have gained little from them, often by the time they get to the meat of their text I am bored to death. Your podcast is a breath of fresh air, I listened to every episode over the course of a long weekend and have become inspired to start meditation. Please continue to do what you do." - Chad, USA
"I just wanted to thank Rev. Kusala Bhikshu for his very informative podcasts. I am a beginner Buddhist living in a small town with no Buddhist community. I've found it very hard to get the answers to some lingering questions I had after reading books for beginner Buddhists. Your podcasts have answered so many of my questions and taught me so much more. You have definitely inspired me to take Buddhism and my practice of it more seriously. I sincerely thank you for your work and look forward to your next podcast." - Stephanie, Canada
"Thanks for the great talks on your podcast. Your dharma talks gives one really a feeling of belonging to the bigger whole even when living in the extreme south of Africa. Keep up the great work. May you be happy." - Zhi Zhui (Dharma name), South Africa
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Gethsemani III “Monasticism and the Environment,” was the theme of the third Buddhist/Catholic encounter sponsored by Monastic Interreligious Dialogue and held at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky May 27-31, 2008. Forty Buddhists and Catholics, most of them monastic men and women, gathered at this renowned Trappist abbey to reflect on and share with one another the environmental wisdom to be found in their monastic teachings and practices.
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The world in which we live
What Is Science Telling Us Today
#2 / Part 1 / MP3 / 12 mb / 53 min / Click-Here
#2 / Part 2 / MP3 / 18 mb / 1 hr 19 min / Click-Here
  Dr. Stephanie Kaza
University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont

Buddhist and Christian understandings
of the world and our place in it: religious vision and ethical
choices Interrelatedness, Interdependence, Dependent Origination #3 / MP3 / 5 mb / 23 min / Click Here 
Ajahn Punnadhammo
Arrow River Hermitage, Thunder Bay, Ontario


                                   The World as Created, Fallen, and Redeemed
#4 / MP3 / 8 mb / 35 min / Click Here

Father James Wiseman OSB
Saint Anselm’s Abbey, Washington DC

How monastic rules speak of the world and our life in it:
Bringing new awareness to ancient yet living documents. The Patimokkha/Pratimoksha
(Theravada) and The Ten Major and Forty-eight Subsidiary Bodhisattva Precepts
From the “Net of Brahma” Sutra (Mahayana)
#5 / MP3 / 10 mb / 45 min / Click Here
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Rev. Heng Sure
Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, Berkeley, California


The Rule of Benedict
# 6 / MP3 / 5 mb / 22 min / Click Here
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Sister Judith Sutera OSB
Mount Saint Scholastica Monastery, Atchison, Kansas

Monasticism vis-à-vis the consumer society:
The Monastic Instinct to Revere, to Conserve,
To Be Content with Little, and to Share
#7 / MP3 / 9 mb / 41 min / Click Here

Rev. Eko Little
Shasta Abbey, Mount Shasta, California
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Simplicity of Life
# 8 / MP3 / 8 mb / 37 min / Click Here

Father Charles Cummings, OCSO
Holy Trinity Monastery, Huntsville, Utah

Bad Practices Hidden or Justified by Ideology
#9 / MP3 / 11 mb / 50 min / Click Here
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Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni
Dhammadharini Vihara, Freemont, California

Bad Practices Hidden or Justified by Ideology
#10 / MP3 / 6 mb / 25 min / Click Here

Father Hugh Feiss OSB
Monastery of the Ascension, Jerome, Idaho
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The environmental practices of American monastic
communities... Good Practices, Ancient and Emerging
#11 / MP3 / 10 mb / 44 min / Click Here

Ven. Thubten Semkye
Sravasti Abbey, Newport, Washington
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The environmental practices of American monastic
communities... Good Practices, Ancient and Emerging
#12 / MP3 / 6 mb / 26 min / Click Here

Sister Renée Branigan OSB
Sacred Heart Monastery, Richardton, North Dakota

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 Special

Letters from Mara
...A story by Punnadhammo Bhikkhu...
According to legend, the Buddha Shakyamuni was attacked by Mara as he was striving for enlightenment, because Mara wanted to prevent him from showing men the way that liberates from suffering. Mara first called up a horde of demons, but Shakyamuni did not fear them. Then he sent his most beautiful daughter to seduce Shakyamuni, but before Shakyamuni's eyes she turned into an ugly hag, where upon Mara admitted conclusive defeat.
Preparing for Death:
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...The Final Days of Death Row Inmate Jaturun "Jay" Siripongs. An interview with Ajahn Pasanno...
Six days before Jay Siripongs was to be executed, his friend, attorney Kendall Goh contacted Abhayagiri Monastery seeking a Buddhist spiritual advisor. Two days later, Abhayagiri Co-abbot Ajahn Pasanno expeditiously received security clearance to enter San Quentin Prison and spent three extraordinary days with Jay Siripongs, the last three days of Siripongs life. Jay Siripongs died by lethal injection on February 9, 1999.
Towards A Global Ethic
...The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions...
Used throughout the world by universities, religious and spiritual communities and interfaith organizations, Towards a Global Ethic has emerged as one of the most significant building blocks in the continuing process of creating global ethical understanding and consensus.
This document attempts to educate followers of Buddhism with a concise accurate statement of the basic teachings of Buddhism as discussed and agreed upon at the "Buddhism Across Cultures" Conference held on March 15 1997 in Los Angeles.
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Buddhist Economics
...Middle Way and the market Place...
It is well known that the study of economics has up till now avoided questions of moral values and considerations of ethics, which are abstract qualities. However, it is becoming obvious that in order to solve the problems that confront us in the world today it will be necessary to take into consideration both concrete and abstract factors, and as such it is impossible to avoid the subject of moral values.
Buddhism and Suicide
...Damien Keown...
In his 1983 paper "The 'Suicide' Problem in the Paali Canon," Martin Wiltshire wrote: "The topic of suicide has been chosen not only for its intrinsic factual and historical interest but because it spotlights certain key issues in the field of Buddhist ethics and doctrine."
Buddhism and Eating Meat
...Ajahn Brahmavamso...
Buddha said: "Monks, I allow you fish and meat that are quite pure in three respects: if they are not seen, heard or suspected to have been killed on purpose for a monk. But, you should not knowingly make use of meat killed on purpose for you." [2]
For a monastic (a monk or a nun) food is to be regarded as medicine and not as a pleasure. In the spirit of the Middle Way it should be taken in just sufficient quantity to keep the body healthy.
In other words, I am not so much concerned to show that Buddhism has, does, or will support the choice to abort or one's right to make such a choice as I am to show that such a choice can be made in a manner consistent with Buddhist principles.
Political events in the course of this century, however, have forced the issue of human rights to the top of the agenda.
The prohibition on taking human life is one of the cornerstones of Buddhist ethics, but there is often confusion about the interpretation of this prohibition in different contexts. In his commentary on the third paaraajika in the Samantapaasaadikaa, Buddhaghosa sets out to clarify the legal provisions of the monastic precept against taking life. The root text and his comments on it are relevant to the contemporary debate on euthanasia, and this paper considers what light Buddhist jurisprudence can shed on this moral dilemma.
...Death and Dying...
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Spiritual Needs of the Dying
...Ven. Pende Hawter...
In order to gain an understanding of the shortness and preciousness of life and how to make it meaningful we need to reflect on the fact that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain. These points may seem obvious but we rarely stop to consider the truth of them.
My topic today is the role that meditation can play in facing issues of pain, illness and death – not a pleasant topic, but an important one. Sadly, it's only when people are face-to-face with a fatal illness that they start thinking about these issues, and often by that point it's too late to get fully prepared.
Buddhist View on Death and Rebirth
...Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang...
As a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, working as a Buddhist chaplain at several of Melbourne's hospitals and as well as Melbourne assessment prison, I have witnessed many personal tragedies faced by the living and of course the very process of dying and that of death and many of these poor people faced their death with fear, with misery and pain before departing this world.
The Sick and Terminally Ill
...Lily de Silva...
"He who attends on the sick attends on me," declared the Buddha, exhorting his disciples on the importance of ministering to the sick. This famous statement was made by the Blessed One when he discovered a monk lying in his soiled robes, desperately ill with an acute attack of dysentery.
For the Aged and the Sick
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...Ven. Thich Thanh Tu...
Today, my talk is especially addressed to the sick and old persons. The reason for this talk is that there was a Buddhist layperson who came and asked if I could give a small Dharma talk to his parents who were old and dying - and because he wanted his parents to be alert, clear-minded when the time came.
Zen Hospice... Being of Service
...Frank Ostasesk...
A long-time Buddhist practitioner, Frank uses his knowledge of both Buddhism and Western psychotherapy in his work of de-mystifying the care-giving process.
Passing Through Death
...Yvonne Zhang...
WHEN ghosts appear, it's like someone blowing cold air on the back of your neck, your hair stands on end and you breathe out cold vapour. So said the boy who could see "dead people" in the film, "The Sixth Sense".
Buddhist Reflections on Death
...Ven. V. F. Gunaratana...
To most of us, at some moment or another, the spectacle of death must have given rise to the deepest of thoughts and profoundest of questions. What is life worth, if able bodies that once performed great deeds now lie flat and
cold, senseless and lifeless?
The Los Angeles Buddhist-Roman Catholic Dialogue
The Los Angeles Buddhist-Catholic Dialogue is sponsored by the Buddhist Sangha council and the Catholic Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. It was formed as an official, on-going, core group dialogue. Meetings are held every six to eight weeks, rotating between Buddhist and Catholic locations.
The Buddhist Leaders of Los Angeles agreed to enter the dialogue in spite of some feelings of reticence. Fears and distrust of Christians formed during the colonial period still linger among much of the Buddhist population. Nevertheless, some of the Buddhist leaders had developed friendly relations with leaders of other religious groups, particularly with the Roman Catholics, and were able to assuage the fears of their colleagues. The Buddhist community saw this dialogue as an opportunity to help increase understanding and sympathy toward Buddhism, a process which could be helpful to the Buddhist community.
A Buddhist- Roman Catholic Retreat
...Malibu California...
The Setting: Serra Retreat rests above the Pacific Ocean on a hilltop in Malibu. With a gorgeous ocean view in front and the coastal mountain range behind, the retreat house provided an excellent setting for a retreat and dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics who came from across the United States to this spot on the Pacific Rim for an encounter between the spiritualities of the East and of the West.
...Dialogue Transcripts...
Ven. Karuna Dharma sent her email response on the Spirituality of Interreligious Dialogue document to John Borelli. Other responses were shared. Michael will provide them to John Borelli before he drafts a response to Cardinal Arinze. Michael will be seeing John in a few weeks. We said a prayer for Ven. Dr. Ratanasara that he may recover from his recent illness. We discussed the sutra on Maitreya Ven. Karuna provided last time.
We watched Rev. Kusala's interview on a television program talking about Buddhism and the visit of the Dalai Lama. We agreed that Rev. Kusala spoke well of Buddhism and was very telegenic. Reviewing the minutes of the previous dialogue, Gordon Gibb pointed out his comment on the "mythic understanding" of Christ was not accurately represented for, as the comment now stands, it would be something he would not say about Christianity.
Al Albergate reported on his the World Parliament of Religions in South Africa. where he was one of the representatives of Soka Gakkai International. The Parliament had about 5000 participants and was stimulating but overwhelming.
Fr. Fredericks: Our topic, "I seem to be a verb," refers to the ideas of the "true self" in Buddhism and "soul" Christianity. Where Buddhists differ from the Christian idea, I have something to learn. Our society is dehumanizing in some ways. Christianity needs to stand up for human dignity and social justice. "Soul" has been developing in the Christian understanding for two thousand years.
John read a poem by the 13th century Persian poet, Rumi. We discussed rootedness in our traditions and transcendence. In terms of Buddhism, is Christianity a dharma gate? Can enlightenment be achieved without Buddhism? When and where is Nirvana?
The Heart Sutra teaches that form is emptiness and emptiness is form. If you put anicca and anatman together you get sunyata. Everything is constantly changing so there is no permanent essence to anything. That is the basis of sunyata. From a phenomenological level we can see this. On earth Newtonian physics apply but out in space, quantum physics does.
Daniel Reinke formally present copies of his master’s thesis, The Buddhist-Roman Catholic Dialogue in Southern California: An Historical Overview, to co-chairs Ven. Karuna Dharma and Dr. Michael Kerze. Dan had worked on the thesis for several years, researching the records and publications of the Dialogue, attending dialogues, and interviewing members of the dialogue.
Prof. Oyama is a minister at a Shin Buddhist temple in Chikushi and specializes in the thought of Shinran. He has experience of interreligious dialogue at the conference of the Society of Buddhist Christian Studies, at conference at Harvard, and at a Christian Buddhist Dialogue held at his university.
Rev. Kusala reported on the conference on Benedict’s Dharma which met in Indiana with several of the contributors to the book on a Buddhist view of the Rule of Benedict. He reported that the next Gethsemani Encounter will take place in April of 2002.
Ven. Samahito reported that he has an interreligious dialogue going on in New Zealand where he opened a temple. Ven Karuna Dharma brought copies of Zen Buddhism and Nationalism in Vietnam, written by her late teacher, the Ven. Thich Thien-An, for background on our day’s topic. Michael brought copies of a short paper about the history of the Catholic Church and ant1-Semitism.
Michael: We agreed last time to share the story of our spiritual journey that ended up with us here, today, at this dialogue. A good process to make sure everyone has a chance to speak is the “mutual invitation process” which I was taught as an interreligious dialogue facilitator for the Interreligious Council of Southern California by the NCCJ.
Sr. Thomas Bernard: I’ve always been Catholic. When I was young it was a tough time, the Depression, but my family got through. As soon as I saw my first grade teacher, a nun, I knew I want to be one. In high school I was interested in drama. To save money for college I got a job driving army trucks for the army.
...Photos...
March, 2000- Loyola Marymount University
February, 2001- Loyola Marymount University

...Special Interest...
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue held its second Buddhist-Christian Colloquium at the Benedictine monastery of Asirvanam in Bangalore, India, from 8 to 13 July. Eighteen persons from various countries took part, seven Buddhists and 11 Christians.
The caves house Buddha images, some ensconced in roomy chambers, others sitting in solitary recesses. In former times they were home to hermit monks, who have a unique understanding of pilgrimage. They share the view of our own latter-day American hermit, Trappist monk Thomas Merton, who wrote, "Our real journey in life is interior; it is a matter of growth, deepening and an ever greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts."
A definition of dialogue: Before presenting some reflections on how interreligious dialogue can be developed, it may not be out of place to recall what is meant by this term. This is how it is defined in the document Dialogue and Proclamation: In the context of religious plurality, dialogue means "all positive and constructive interreligious relations with individuals and communities of other faiths which are directed at mutual understanding and enrichment", in obedience to truth and respect for freedom.
Dialogue, as we are choosing to use the word, is a way of exploring the roots of the many crises that face humanity today. It enables inquiry into, and understanding of, the sorts of processes that fragment and interfere with real communication between individuals, nations and even different parts of the same organization.
"How sad it is when members of the same family no longer speak to one another, avoid looking at one another, avoid meeting! How sad it is when Muslims and Christians, who are part of the one human family, ignore one another, no longer exchange greetings or, even worse, quarrel with one another!"
The themes of the talks are rooted in my journey, as a Christian, into Buddhism. In the mid-1980's I felt the need to "let go" of my own religious conditioning to enter the world of another faith.
Kuan Yin Bodhisattva's compassion for all beings is so vast and inconceivable, our gratitude cannot comprehend nor fully express the magnitude of her blessings. Her body and garments of brilliant, translucent White Light. Her adornments, a white vase of Compassionate Water in her left hand, The Sacred Willow Branch in her right hand.
"...the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in case of absolute necessity: In other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today, however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.
Interfaith Dialogue a Buddhist Perspective an Examination of Pope John Paul II's Crossing the Threshold of Hope a talk given at the Intermonastic Dialogue Gethsemani Monastery, Louisville, Kentucky July, 1996 by Ven. Havanpola Ratanasara, Ph.D.
To prepare for the International Women’s Day (March 8th) we offer a paper by a Professor of Theology and Sociology at the Diocesan Seminary (St Pius College, Aarey Road, Goregaon East, Mumbai 400063) and National Ecclesiastical Advisor of the Catholic Women’s Council of India (CCWI). 
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At prayer, at work and at play, a woman's experience of the divine is distinctive. What is changing, according to four new books on women's spirituality, is that voices silenced for centuries finally are being heard.
...Food for Thought...
There is no mystery as to the cultural origins of the much invoked concept "justice" in the Western world: it came directly out of the Judeo-Christian biblical tradition and teaching. The word "just" occurs eighty-four times in the Judeo-Christian scriptures (Bible), and its derivative, "justice," occurs twenty times. And what was the meaning of "justice" in this context?
In the stillness of a balmy spring day, as a breeze floats through the Joshua trees and a clanging bell summons the men to prayer, the presence of God is palpable.
Again, Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination.
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The Lord Jesus, before ascending into heaven, commanded his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world and to baptize all nations: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
...In Los Angeles...
The Variety of culture that is Los Angeles was as evident as ever on March 26 in the ordination of Bishop Edward W. Clark at St. John Chrysostom Church in Inglewood, California.
Mahony's interest in high tech was apparent the day he and 23 other church officials were installed as cardinals. Thousands in the overflow, invitation-only crowd at the Vatican ceremony watched it on a wall-size television lent by the L.A. diocese.
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